2020 update: Sadly this business has closed.
On a country road in Marion, you might drive past the Ansel Gurney House thinking it’s a quaint museum, but quick, turn around and head back to the gravel parking lot! Pull in by the grape arbor and head inside the historic home where travelers and shoppers have walked its wide timber floorboards since the 1700s. Each of the 11 rooms in the grand old house offers a distinct theme, like women’s fine clothing, kitchenware, young children’s gifts, linens, and more. Shopping here is at an easy pace, no rush, no crowds.
Before you browse, enjoy a classic New England luncheon in the adjoining café. The Ansel Café fills an airy garden room overlooking a well-established herb garden, and if you’re lucky to get a table close to the windows, it feels like you are lunching in an aviary. Bird identification cards are handy to help recognize the feathered guests perched on the feeders hung throughout the gardens. Your own lunch may be a seasonal salad, a crustless quiche, or the daily soup (the clam chowder has many fans). But go easy; leave enough room to indulge in a warm dish of Indian pudding or apple crisp served with a heap of vanilla ice cream and a flawless (and bottomless) cup of coffee.
Ansel Gurney House
403 County Road
Marion, MA 02738
(508) 748-1111
www.AnselGurney.com
